In partnership with our friends at Wholesale Warranties
Regardless of model type, RVs are a significant financial investment. Tending to regular maintenance is essential to saving money on repairs and extending the life of your RV. As RV buyers diversify and the DIY approach becomes increasingly popular, it’s important to know how to best maintain and protect your investment. Extended warranties can provide flexibility to those who prefer to do their own maintenance, renovation, and minor repairs. This article discusses how an extended RV warranty can benefit DIY RVers.
What is an Extended Warranty?
An RV extended warranty, also known as an extended service contract, provides protection for potential defects and failures. These policies are intended to extend the service of the manufacturer’s warranty, covering a broad range of components. In the event of an unexpected breakdown, the warranty provider pays the cost of repairs for all covered components. This article will go on to explain the importance of maintenance as it pertains to warranties, as well as how to approach DIY repairs in compliance with your policy.
Most Common RV Repairs
For those who prefer to address minor repairs themselves, it is important to be familiar with the most common RV repairs. You will have a better idea of what tools you will need to have on hand and how to address some of the simple fixes. According to claims data gathered by Wholesale Warranties, these are the top five most common RV repairs:
•Slide-Outs
•Coach Air Conditioning
•Water Pump
•Hot Water Heater
•Radio and Navigation Unit
Other common issues occur with electrical systems, leveling jacks, and awning motors. Of course, issues vary slightly between motorhomes and trailers. Sometimes components suffer only minor issues that an experienced RVer can tackle with the right tools and a little time. Unfortunately, some of the most common RV repairs are among the most expensive. For example, slide-outs can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $12,000 in repair and replacement expenses. This is a significant chunk of money that you want to save for your travel budget!
Plus, many of these items require several hours of labor and parts orders. Extended RV warranties are especially beneficial in these circumstances. It may be more convenient and more cost-effective for a professional to handle major repairs while the warranty company covers the bill.
To best avoid major repairs, stay on top of routine maintenance to prevent unnecessary damage and breakdowns. For example, seals require regular maintenance, or they might lead to bigger, more expensive problems such as water damage caused by leaks. Over time, seals weather due to exposure and UV damage. You can easily examine seals for dryness cracking, which indicates that the seals are too worn to be effective. Seals can easily be patched or replaced without risking voiding your warranty. It is very affordable to replace seals, as you only need the simple tools required and the right type of sealant. Additionally, the task is not especially time consuming. However, the average DIY RVer may not be equipped to manage extensive water damage. Handling small repairs like this saves money on professional services and prevents further damage.
All things considered, unexpected breakdowns happen. Even the most lovingly maintained RV will likely run into an issue down the road. These vehicles simply undergo a shocking amount of stress while traveling, leaving the bells and whistles that make RV life so comfortable vulnerable to failure.
The Importance of Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance is essential to keeping an RV in pristine working condition. Neglecting regular maintenance matters, such as oil changes, tire replacement, and fluid replacement, risks long-term damage to your RV. And for those who do choose to invest in protection, failure to properly maintain can even result in hefty repair costs that are not covered under the policy due to neglect.
For those who like to tend to minor maintenance matters, best practices include following the manufacturer guidelines and recommended maintenance schedules. Keep in mind that different components require varying schedules. Some tasks will need to be addressed on an annual or semi-annual basis, whereas other items need to be tended to at certain mileages.
Additionally, routine maintenance is important and typically required in order to maintain coverage with a warranty policy. Neglecting basic maintenance puts your vehicle and travel budget at risk, as this may lead to preventable issues that your policy will not cover. These issues will be considered regular wear and tear. Therefore, be sure to stay on top of maintenance to keep your rig healthy and to maximize your warranty protection.
If you do conduct your own repairs and maintenance outside of a professional shop, always retain receipts and maintain a record of all maintenance. Warranty providers will allow DIY maintenance and continue coverage as long as records are provided.
The Truth About DIY Repairs and RV Warranty Protection
When deciding whether it is sensible for you to secure warranty protection, first you need to know what kind of DIY RVer you are. This means understanding what you are and are not willing to repair yourself. Assess your comfortability with addressing different repairs, and know when to consult a professional!
No RV warranty will pay an individual to perform their own repairs, so the key is finding the level of coverage that best suits who you are as a DIY traveler. If you are mostly managing small maintenance or aesthetic repairs, such as fixing seals or doing interior coach renovations, then this will not impact warranty coverage. Warranties do not cover aesthetic components, so policyholders are free to fix and renovate furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and so on.
On the other hand, if you plan to conduct repairs on mechanical components, this may impact coverage. Essentially, you must determine where you draw the line at DIY repairs before deciding if an RV extended warranty is worthwhile.
There are some important questions to keep in mind when considering personal limitations with DIY repairs. Can you source your own parts while traveling? Do you travel with a tool kit? Do you want to spend time on your vacation repairing your rig? This will help you decide which circumstances to rely on a professional RV service provider for major repairs. Once you have identified your comfortability, then you can start thinking about what level of warranty coverage will best suit your needs as a DIY RVer.
Types of Coverage
There are a few different types of RV extended warranties. A good range of coverage offers flexibility, providing options for various traveling lifestyles. Customize your warranty in accordance with your goals as an RV owner, including what kind of repairs and maintenance procedures you plan to address yourself. The best type of coverage for you will depend on preferences. Here are three different types of extended warranties and how a DIY RVer might fit into each category.
Exclusionary Warranty
Exclusionary warranties provide the greatest coverage available. These policies cover virtually all working components that contribute to the vehicle’s overall mechanical function. The contract provides a list of exclusions, which are the few things not covered by an exclusionary policy. These include aesthetic components, such as windows, paint, and upholstery, as well as preexisting conditions, and regular wear and tear.
These policies are ideal for the DIY RVer who loves interior renovation projects. Policyholders can freely overhaul the aesthetics of the coach without worrying about voiding coverage. Additionally, RVers can still address minor routine maintenance procedures on regular wear-and-tear items, like oil changes or replacing cracked weather stripping. Meanwhile, the warranty will cover all repair costs for unexpected failures to mechanical components ranging from your diesel engine to your microwave. If you’re seeking maximum peace of mind and prefer not to manage mechanical repairs yourself, this is a great option.
Comprehensive Warranty
A comprehensive warranty is another option for extensive coverage. They may also be referred to as a listed component or stated component warranty. Although they offer less coverage than an exclusionary policy, these warranties offer greater flexibility while still covering major components such as the engine, transmission, HVAC systems, and more. This plan offers the best of both worlds: extensive coverage and DIY maintenance and repairs.
Again, a listed component plan is great for a handy RVer who wants to perform their own maintenance, but likely won’t be overhauling an engine or removing all of their slide-outs to address motor issues.
Powertrain Warranty
As the name suggests, a powertrain warranty only covers the mechanical components that comprise the powertrain. This policy offers the greatest flexibility in terms of DIY maintenance and repairs. You can tend to the exterior, coach, and interior components while resting assured that the engine and transmission is covered. The powertrain encompasses some of the costliest components in an RV, so you can enjoy flexibility while potentially saving thousands of dollars on major repair costs. This is where defining what kind of repairs you’re open to becomes very important. Will you be working on your own refrigerator, A/C, and plumbing? If that fits your expertise, great! Let a powertrain plan step in when the big stuff fails, like an engine or transmission issue.
Conclusion
There is not one-size-fits-all extended warranty, meaning there is a policy available for every type of RV traveler. As long as you know what types of repairs and maintenance you prefer to tackle yourself, a warranty specialist will be able to guide you to the best policy to suit your individual needs. Having RV warranty protection provides peace of mind, cost savings, and flexibility. Whether you stick to interior renovations or like to get under the hood, there is a suitable warranty plan for you.
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